Let me give you a little bit of advice, my friends. Head to your kitchen right now and whip up a batch of these Chicken Fritters. You will be so darn happy that you did! These tasty nuggets are crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and packed with cheesy goodness.
Make a big batch to serve to friends with some feta dressing or chipotle ranch dressing for dipping. Or keep them all for yourself for quick lunches or high protein snacks. They’re great over salad too!
Susan says:
“These are literally the BEST. I’ve made them so many times as a meal. Side of steamed garlic broccoli, & serve with ranch, bleu cheese, au jus, all of the above, whatever. Whole family loves them. So much flavor.”
These keto chicken fritters have been insanely popular from the moment I hit publish. And it’s not hard to see why. They’re made with simple, wholesome ingredients. And the cheddar melts into the fritters as they cook, creating a crispy golden crust and a tender, cheesy interior.
It’s easily one of my most popular keto appetizer recipes. One bite and you’ll be hooked. And if you watch the video and see me doing the happy dance, you might just want to groove along with me!
Why readers love this recipe
- Fabulous flavor: These chicken fritters are made with sharp cheddar, garlic, and red pepper flakes, for bold savory flavor.
- Wonderful texture: Crispy on the outside, tender and cheesy on the inside!
- Easy recipe: Using ground chicken makes these fritters come together quickly and easily.
- Healthy ingredients: No special ingredients in this recipe. Just some chicken, cheese, almond flour, and some seasonings.
- Gluten-free: Great for people who can’t tolerate wheat or gluten.
- Customizable: Feel free to use ground turkey or a different cheese like pepper jack. I have one reader who made a Tex Mex version!
- Make ahead: You can easily prep these ahead for easy appetizers or family-friendly dinners.
- Great macros: With 19 grams of protein and less than 2 grams of carbs per serving, these chicken fritters are ideal for low carb and keto-friendly diets.
Ingredient Notes
- Ground chicken: This simplifies the process, as there is no need to chop the chicken or to process it in a food processor.
- Sharp cheddar: I grated a full block of sharp cheddar (Cabot Seriously Sharp!) for these fritters and they were seriously amazing. They had a crispy cheese crust as they came out of the pan that was absolutely delectable.
- Almond flour: Almond flour or another nut or seed meal will help bind the mixture together. I don’t recommend coconut flour, as it will make the fritters dry and tough. Instead, try using another nut or seed meal, or even ground pork rinds.
- Egg: This is the glue that binds the patty mixture together.
- Seasonings: Garlic, parsley, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper
- Oil and butter for frying
Overview: How to make Chicken Fritters
- Combine the ingredients: Combine the chicken, cheddar, almond flour, egg, garlic, parsley, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Mix with your hands to make it all nicely uniform.
- Form the patties: Use about 2 tablespoons of the mixture at a time and form into small patties about 2 ½ to 3 inches across. Place a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and refrigerate one hour.
- Cook the patties: Heat the oil or butter in a large skillet and add butter. When melted and hot, brown the chicken patties until cooked through.
- Drain: Place the patties on a paper towel lined plate to drain off any residual oil.
Tips for Success
An hour in the fridge allows the fritters to firm up hold together better when frying. But you can make the patties up to a day in advance of cooking.
Make them any size! I like the small fritters for appetizers and snacks but many readers turn them into full size burgers.
You should get 24 to 26 small patties, and you can cook 8 to 10 at a time in a large skillet, so you will need to work in batches. I recommend scraping out some of the stuck-on cheese between batches, to avoid burning it.
Yes, you can air fry them! Grease the basket well and then brush a little melted butter over the fritters to help them brown. I suggest cooking them at 400ºF for 10 to 12 minutes, flipping them halfway through cooking.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can serve them with ranch dressing or homemade keto ketchup for an appetizer. Or pair them with keto coleslaw or cauliflower potato salad as part of a full meal! Really, the sky is the limit here. Check out my full list of keto side dishes to find something that strikes your fancy.
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat gently in a warm oven. You can also freeze the cooked chicken fritters for several months. Use a heavy duty freezer bag and remove excess air to avoid freezer burn.
This keto chicken fritter recipe has 1.7g of carbs and 0.6g of fiber per serving. If you count net carbs, that comes to 0.9g carbs for 2 fritters.
Chicken Fritters Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 lb (907.18 g) ground chicken
- 8 ounces (226.8 g) Cabot Seriously Sharp, grated
- ½ cup (56 g) almond flour
- 1 large (1) egg
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tsp dried parsley
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- ½ tsp (0.5 tsp) red pepper flakes
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 ½ tbsp (1.5 tbsp) butter
Instructions
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment or waxed paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the chicken, cheddar, almond flour, egg, garlic, parsley, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Use your hands to mix everything well.
- Using 2 tablespoons at a time, form the mixture into small patties about 2 ½ to 3 inches across. You should get 24 to 26 patties. Place on the prepared baking sheet and refrigerate one hour.
- Set a large skillet over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of the oil and ½ tablespoon of the butter. Once hot, add 8 to 10 of the chicken patties. Cook about 3 minutes per side, until cooked through (the internal temperature should reach at least 165ºF on an instant read thermometer).
- Place the finished patties on a paper towel lined plate to dry and repeat 2 more times, until all of the patties are cooked. Note: you may want to scrape out some of the baked-on cheese between batches, to avoid burning it.
- Serve warm, with some ranch or bleu cheese dressing for dipping.
Video
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.
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Accidentally got sausage instead of chicken but it still came out great. These I will be making again.
It was so easy, I’m shook. X
I’ve got parent friends who say even the kids love them. We made them into tiny bites and they are a gourmet nugget of sorts for them. They love it!
I’ve made my second batch today. These things are so good! Since I live alone, I froze the uncooked chicken patties and then thawed and cooked what I wanted for supper that night. They came out perfect. I sent some frozen ones home with my daughter and she loved them too!
Love that idea!
These are yum! In the air fryer some of the Cheese melted out so will try to bake next time. Cabot makes a nice habanero cheddar, thought about replacing cheese and red pepper flakes with this…anyone tried that?
Sure! The Habanero is hot but so good!
Can leftover rotisserie chicken be used in place of minced chicken? Thank you
I really can’t say. I imagine it wouldn’t hold together nearly as well….
Hi. I just made them with cooked chicken thighs, one egg and forgot the almond flour and they turned out great. I put the cooked chicken in my food processor.
These were really delicious. Next time I think I’ll add some fresh corn too. I know, not “keto” really, but just a little won’t hurt.
Try fresh baby corn – I’ve found it at Trader Joe’s and it’s low carb enough for keto!
Can I use my food processer to make “ground chicken”?
That is exactly what I do. An extra step, but cheaper and I make extra to freeze.
I made a half batch for dinner tonight – it’s only me and hubby. They mixed up easily and cooked right up! I made a side dish while they were chilling in the fridge. I still have enough for lunch tomorrow lol! Very tasty and got hubs’ stamp of approval! Thank you!!
I made a 1/2 batch today (only because I didn’t look at the recipe amounts before I headed to the store and only bought 1 lb. of ground turkey). They are delicious!! I will definitely be making these again. Two reasons to love them – they are sooo easy to make, and even my finicky son-in-law was munching on them.
Thank you for the great recipe!
I might try these with ground beef, as that is what I currently have in my fridge, add some scallions from the pot I have of them growing year round on my porch.
Just know that ground beef has more fat so they may take a bit longer to cook through.
Love them I used a little less almond flour and liquid hot sauce only because I didn’t have crushed red flakes. It worked out fine.
These make a great appetizer of main course. Also made them a little bigger and put on buns
Yummy!
Could you alternatively bake these in an air fryer?
Please read the frequently asked questions.
My family loves these. I added green chillis and green onions tonight
That sounds great! I’ll have to try that.
I’ve made them as written once, and once with turkey. The chicken ones were great with Buffalo wing sauce on top.
I sure wish you would include dairy free directions/replacements in your recipes many of us can’t do dairy! What do you suggest? Thanks.
I actually do that, when it is an option. You will find that info in almost all of my blog posts. However, this is not one that has that option.. you don’t get a crispy crust without the cheddar
Also, I just put out a whole ebook on keto dairy-free desserts. Might be something to consider: https://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/dairy-free-keto-desserts/
Thanks for the great recipe. I made it with ground turkey because that is what I had but I think ground chicken would probably be better.
These were delicious! We had them at the super bowl party and everyone loved them! Dipped them in a nice ranch dip and some even liked hot sauce with them! I made a double batch and froze about a dozen, in baggies with 4 in each, for a quick appetizer or lunch anytime!
Thank you for your continued work for wonderful recipes..I appreciate you! ❤️
So glad you liked them!